Do you know the power of solar panels?
The power of a solar panel refers to the amount of energy that it can produce. This figure can vary greatly depending on the model (there are 300W, 320W, 400W, 420W plates…). That is why it is important to know its benefits to know which type is the one that interests us the most for our photovoltaic installation.
Although, as we have already mentioned, there are many types, the most common solar panels are usually between 300W and 420W. If the panel is 320W, it means that in principle it will be able to generate these 320W every hour that it spends exposed to sunlight.
However, the production of the plates will vary throughout the day. In fact, there are many variables on which the production increases or decreases, such as the time of year, the weather, the temperature, the presence of shadows or even the possible dirt accumulated on the solar panels.
So how can we know how much power solar panels can produce? When choosing a model of solar panel, you will see that the power is expressed in Wp, peak watts. And what are peak watts? The maximum power that the board can generate under certain conditions. These conditions are: a temperature of 25 degrees, an irradiance of 1000 W/m2 and an air mass of 1.5. It is necessary to take into account that we are talking about a maximum power with the specific conditions that we have indicated, but it is possible that a greater production can be reached on time if any of the factors vary.
How do you calculate the power you are interested in?
Depending on your electricity consumption, you will need to install more or less power in your photovoltaic plant. And depending on the power you want to install, you will need more or less plates, depending on the power of each photovoltaic panel.
If, for example, you need to install 3.65kW/h of power (3,650W/h), you will have enough with 8 or 9 plates of 420W or with 12-13 of 300W.
In any case, these calculations are very easy to perform, so before starting your photovoltaic project you can try combinations until you find the one that best suits your needs.
Factors Influencing Production
As we have commented before, although we have already chosen the panels of the power that interests us, we must take into account the rest of the external factors that will influence their production.
One of them is the outside temperature, since the heat affects the solar panels. Despite the fact that in summer energy production is usually very high because we enjoy many hours of sun, the performance of the plates can decrease due to overheating.
The opposite occurs with the cold. Although the heating problem is solved, we have fewer hours of sunlight to produce electricity.
Faced with this situation, if you are wondering when it is most profitable to put solar panels, we will tell you that although you have to be aware that production will vary and you will not always obtain the peak power that they are capable of reaching, your solar panels end up being profitable all the time. anus. Therefore, a photovoltaic installation is the best alternative to produce independent, clean and free energy.